Tutoring
by fluffybluff
Summary: Kaoru finally understands what 'don't judge a book by the cover' means when she found out that her nerd tutor is not your everyday stuttering, silly looking nerd. Of course, there's more to him she has yet to find out.. REWRITTEN!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: RK isn't mine

AN: This was a fic I had and rewrote. I just thought I could bring so much more depth to the story, but the way I wrote it before seemed a little dull. So I decided to delete it and re-upload it. The first chapter is more or less the same with the one I deleted, but the next chapters would be different. :P Anyways, enjoy, and don't forget to tell me what you think! :D

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**Tutoring**

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"Bowl O' nerds is ready!" Misao said in an overly cheery, sing-song voice. Kaoru sighed heavily, looking at her cereal bowl with a lot of rolled papers in it.

"Do I really have to do this?" She asked tiredly. Megumi dragged the bowl closer to Kaoru's lap.

"Come on, either you pick a nerd, or you fail Biology." She urged her. Kaoru bit her lips hesitantly, and then looked at Megumi again.

"Can't you just help me? You're a med student, after all…" She pleaded. Megumi looked at her.

"Do you know how busy a med student is? Stop dawdling and pick your nerd!" She replied fiercely.

"But I want _you_ as my nerd…" Kaoru said, batting her eyelashes mokingly, and Megumi flicked her nose.

"Okay, listen. First, I am NOT a nerd, and I am too busy to help you. Second, you know that if you don't pass Biology, you can't take Psychology, and if you can't take Psychology, you won't have your double major completed. And obviously, we all know you can't pass Biology without any help!" She convinced Kaoru. Kaoru grunted and shook the bowl.

"Fine." She said, before closing her eyes and picked a rolled paper. She gave it to Misao.

"Alright. And your nerd iiiiis… Himura Kenshin!" Misao announced happily. Megumi and Kaoru looked at each other.

"Who the hell is that?" Kaoru asked her. Megumi shrugged.

"How do I know?" She asked back. Kaoru shrugged and looked at Misao. Misao sighed and searched the name through her folder.

"Alright, Himura Kenshin, Engineering student, third year. Just a year higher than us." Misao said while taking out a piece of student information paper and pushing it towards Kaoru. Megumi chuckled.

"How do you get these things anyways?" She asked. Misao winked.

"A few nice words and sweet, innocent smile to the guy in the course management office would do the magic..." Misao replied with a grin. Kaoru shook her head incredulously at the paper.

"He enrolled in both classes of Introductory Biology and Advanced Chemistry class as his elective subjects." She said shortly.

"So?" Megumi looked at her, questioningly. Kaoru frowned.

"Come on, Megumi. He took Biology and Chemistry FOR _FUN_! No one takes science subject as electives! A normal human being takes Philosophy, or Music, Film or other crap subjects for their elective credits!" Kaoru exclaimed. Misao giggled as her eyes traced down the paper, screening for more information about the nerd.

"Okay. He's a scholarship student too, so he would be friggin' smart." Misao added. Kaoru sighed.

"Can I pick another person?" She asked. Megumi frowned.

"Why? I think he's perfect for you!" Megumi commented. Misao pouted.

"You've promised us that _anyone_ you pick will be the one. Come on, Kaoru! Stay by the rule of the game!" She said.

"I don't know how could you guys make my misery a game... Moreover, he's not from Science faculty, and I don't have money to pay for tutoring fee…" Kaoru replied. Misao snorted.

"You don't have to pay! Listen, nerds are nerds, even though they're as smart as Einstein. They would still be timid, a virgin and unable to refuse a woman. Just tell him you'll return the favour in the most_ wonderful_ ways, and then go to bookstore and buy some action manga for them or something…" Misao said. Megumi chuckled.

"Yeah, you're right. I got a lot of helps from my lab partner as well. Show him a little cleavage, and he'll be yours. And it's _you_, Kaoru. No man is crazy enough to refuse the great Kamiya Kaoru." She said with an evil glint in her eyes. Kaoru frowned.

"If this doesn't work, I'll hunt your head down." She said, exasperated.

"Don't worry. All girls who took double major in journalism and psychology did this before. It's like a ritual. I'm sure even the nerds are waiting for this day every year." Megumi assured her. Kaoru sighed.

"Alright… I'll try." She decided.

**OOOOO**

This was the first time Kaoru walked around the corridors of the Engineering faculty buildings. Someone told her that this Himura Kenshin guy could only be found in two places if he wasn't attending class. She had gone to the video game room in the college lounge and didn't find him there, so after asking some stuttering, geeky guys inside the game room, she found herself walking around the Engineering complex, trying to find the project hall, where the Engineering students built their Evangelion and Gundam robots or whatever things they were trying to invent.

So far, the building was scarce of people, only a few Engineering students who ogled at her, surprised and awed because of the fact that they actually found Kamiya Kaoru, the campus' princess, walking around the building that most people called "nerdsville" with her usual mini skirt, fashionable top and high heels. Finally, after fifteen minutes of wandering aimlessly, she found a big door with "Project Hall" labeled on it. The room was a little secluded, due to the fact that it was so big that they decided to build it close to the undeveloped land beside the complex.

She knocked the door, but no one answered. She decided to enter the room.

"Wow…" She gasped, amazed at the sight. The project hall was a really big hall with high ceiling and a lot of small windows. It looked a bit dark and old, but Kaoru was a little happy to see different kinds of things in the room. There were a few big tables, filled with plans, blue prints and small parts. Behind those tables, there were big machineries and a few unfinished experiments or projects the Engineering students were doing. In the corner of the room, near a big bookshelf, she saw a few people in the jumpsuit, chattering and eating their bread. Just when Kaoru entered the room, they stopped talking and stared at her. Kaoru pressed her lips together.

"Oh, hey… I'm looking for... uh... Himura Kenshin…" She said. The smaller guy pointed at something that looked like a car without the outer body. She could heart clacking noise from the car, but she couldn't see anyone there. Kaoru frowned, looked at the car, and then looked at the guy, obviously clueless. "Er… Where?" She asked.

"He's _under_ that thing." He said. Kaoru frowned and turned around again, this time she saw a pair of dirty shoes soles popping out from under the car, almost being camouflaged by the same dirty environment it was in. Kaoru thanked them and walked closer to the car.

"Eh… Himura Kenshin-san?" He asked, a little reluctant. The clanking noise under the car stopped. Kaoru waited for two seconds, and when the clanking noise didn't come back, she felt that it was her cue to keep talking. She sat on the floor so that she could see him from under the car, but the big machinery was blocking her sight. She sighed.

"Ano, Himura-san, I need a Biology tutor. If you don't mind, would you tutor me?" She asked, and the clanking started again. She stayed there, not knowing what to do. After a few seconds or so, the clanking stopped again.

"Science and Engineering are not the same, you know." Said the muffled voice under the car. Kaoru bit her lips.

"Yeah, I know that, but… Uh… Those science students are charging money… A lot of money for tutoring fee… And I happen to know that you took Biology as your elective..." She said. She could hear a small chuckle under the car. Different type of clanking started, for a split seconds, and then stopped again.

"You're asking me to tutor you for free?" He asked her. Kaoru gulped. For her charm to work on nerds and geeks, they would have to see her appearance first. She didn't know how to win the guy whose eyes were hidden under a car-like machinery. She inhaled, it was time to say what Misao and Megumi told her to say.

"Well, not for free. I don't have the money, but I can do other stuff for you too… I can return the favour in the most _wonderful_ ways…" She said in the most seductive voice she could pull off. She heard a loud, clumsy thump and a screwdriver slid out from under the car. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry, could you slide the screwdriver back? I still need it." He said, his tone was not as cold as before. Kaoru grinned as she grabbed the screwdriver and slid it back under the car. The small clanking noise started again.

"So? Do you accept? Can you start tutoring me?" She asked. The noise stopped, as if he stopped to think about it.

He grunted and said something, but the sound was muffled that Kaoru couldn't hear it. Kaoru frowned.

"Sorry? I didn't catch that." She said.

He sighed, and then slid out from under the car while taking off his thick, suffocating ski hat. Kaoru's eyes widened.

He didn't look anything like the Engineering nerd she had in mind.

As he stood up, his loose red hair fell nicely on his structured shoulder. His eyes were alluring amber with a contrast, but very vague glint of somber violet that made Kaoru shiver, and his high cheekbones and shapely jaw structure made him looked a little less Japanese. He pulled his long sleeved jumpsuit's zipper down from close to his neck to his stomach, revealing his perfectly chiseled collarbones, chest and abs. He was skinny, but not too skinny, and his muscles were developed well, fitting his lean body. He stepped out of his jumpsuit; apparently he was already wearing a pair of shabby jeans beneath, low enough to show every little yummy things on his torso.

Kaoru bit her lips, a little disoriented. Was he the nerd who supposed to be her tutor? If Megumi and Misao were here, they would have eaten this guy alive!

Kaoru gaped at the brilliant sight as he wiped his face with a small, shabby towel. Then he took his dark blue t shirt from the table, put it on, and sat on the stool nearby casually. His eyes landed on Kaoru, staring at her in a way that made her stomach turned. He then grinned, the amber and violet glints were playing in his eyes, and Kaoru suddenly forgot to breathe.

"When do we start?"


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: RK isn't mine

AN: Chapter two is also just a little different from the old one. This one is heading to the direction I wanted to. I cut a few parts from the old one, but other than that, everything else is fresh. For chapter three, I would probably do the same. One or two paragraph from the old one, but everything else is new. I hope you like it, and don't forget to review!

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**Tutoring**

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Kenshin ate his breakfast slowly. He always enjoyed cooking breakfast in the morning when he had no class, and he liked spending a lot of time jazzing up normal breakfast food. He never just ended up with normal scrambled egg; he would at least mix it with grated cheese and made his special companion sauce for the egg. He sighed as he looked at the clock. His new tutee, Kamiya Kaoru would be there soon.

Kamiya Kaoru. The princess of the campus, the winner of Miss Meiji for two years in a row, right from when she was a freshman until now. Everyone from Meiji University and other schools and colleges nearby knew her name. They said, she was the prettiest, nicest girl, and she was smart and outgoing as well. Kenshin admitted, she was gorgeous. One glance at her, every guy could easily notice the small things that made her shine. Her flawless ivory skin, her jet black silky hair that she always tied up in high ponytail, her petite, but curvaceous body… Above all those, he especially liked her pure blue eyes. They sparkled expressively like a sapphire gem, sometimes making her very transparent to read. She didn't seem to mind possessing that kind of dangerous innocence, though. She knew her best features, and she used them well to her advantage.

He stopped eating and chuckled at his thoughts earlier. He couldn't believe that even he had spared a time to think of her. He had a feeling that she didn't even know that her charm could be dangerous for her. Like the way she asked him to tutor her earlier, if it were other guys, she would be doomed, because they would for sure ask for the "payment" she promised them earlier.

He was finishing his scrambled egg when he saw someone walking back and forth in front of his apartment from the window. He frowned and looked outside the window, and saw Kaoru was sitting on the floor, looking at her watch. She was really early. Kenshin opened the door, and she gasped a little.

"Oh… I'm sorry, I'm too early… I live two floors down, and I have nothing to do, so I decided to just come up here and wait." She said.

"Not surprising, this building is filled with students in our university. It has the cheapest rental around." He commented with a slight smile. "But seriously, next time, just ring the bell instead of waiting outside. It's starting to get colder outside." He told her with a concerned frown, and she blushed.

"Alright. Thanks." She thanked him with a smile. "Were you still sleeping?" She asked while looking at Kenshin, who was wearing nothing but a pair of grey ugly sweatpants. Kaoru's eyes traced Kenshin's body and realized that the yummy, lean and muscular body she saw the other day was not her hallucination. Moreover, he smelled heavenly now, not sweaty like before, and his hair was tied up in a high ponytail, which reminded her of herself. Kenshin opened the door wider and smiled at her.

"No, no, actually, I just finished my breakfast. Come on in." He said. Kaoru entered the room and looked around.

The room was small, but the lack of furniture made it look more spacious. Everything was unexpectedly clean, remembering the fact that the owner was a guy. The floor was dull and tatami wooden floor, and the kitchen was small with a lot of cupboards and compartments, even though the fridge was surprisingly big and luxurious, with a built-in water dispenser and a screen to control the temperature. In the middle of the room, there was a small table with cushions so that they could sit on the floor, a big cardboard box with "CDs" written on it, and also a huge flat-screen TV with four nice speakers and two game consoles at the corner of the room. Right beside the box was a door. It was opened and Kaoru could see the messy queen-sized bed that took up the whole room with dark green bedsheet and a small box with "clothes" written on it. Kaoru frowned.

"Did you just move in or something?" She asked.

"No. I've been here for years." He replied.

"But you have boxes scattered around…"

"I just don't have the furniture to fit them all. I don't think that even the furniture could fit into this small flat." Kenshin said with a grin. Kaoru lifted up her eyebrow.

"No wonder you can't fit anything. You have such a big fridge, big TV and big bed." She said, almost mumbling. Kenshin chuckled.

"I only bought luxurious things if they could accommodate my hobbies…" He said. Kaoru frowned.

"So, your hobbies are… Playing games, eating and sleeping?" She asked.

"Well, something like that." He replied with a chuckle.

"Your bed is too big that you can't even close your bedroom door." Kaoru commented, looking at the room door which was stuck behind the corner of the bed. Kenshin smirked and stepped closer behind her.

"It comes in handy, especially if you're asking for a down payment from a certain someone." He uttered softly while touching Kaoru's hair gently. Kaoru gulped, she didn't dare to turn around and look at him.

"When I said something wonderful, I didn't mean that." She said. Kenshin chuckled.

"Then?" He asked.

"It's…" Kaoru opened her mouth, but she didn't know what to say. She got even more nervous when she felt Kenshin's breath near her ear. "I… am buying you a... a shounen jump…?" She said, a little unsure. Kenshin chuckled.

"I don't really read manga." He said. Kaoru bit her lips.

"No?" She asked, still trying hard to be normal.

"Nope. I'm more of a novel and game geek." He said with a low voice before lowering his head. He touched her chin and turned her face around, and leaned as if he was about to kiss her. Kaoru blushed. She let out an embarrassing squeak and jumped away before accidentally dropping her big bag. Kenshin laughed and bent down to gather all of the books that scattered out of her bag.

"I was just teasing you. Sorry, I don't usually do these things, but you're just so tease-worthy. The was you asked me that day… It was just too funny." He commented with a silly grin. "It's a lesson for you. Don't ever try to entice a guy if you don't mean it, especially when you know that you'll be spending a lot of time alone with him. Be more careful about these things. Most guys help you not because they're kind, but because they're interested in you. A lot of them wouldn't stop at just a kiss." He explained calmly while gathering all of the books on the floor. She blushed heavily, but managed to create a believable annoyed snort.

"Aren't you the kind one…" She said sarcastically.

"No… Not kind. Just not really interested." He mumbled softly, before looking at her with a charming smile while giving her all of her books and her bag. "Now please sit down and take out your guide book. I'm going to look for a dry shirt. I just had my laundry day and I'm not even sure if anything's dry yet." He continued as he walked to the small balcony where he dried his clothes. Kaoru sighed, a little disappointed even without her realizing it.

The study session went very well. Kenshin was a good teacher, and also a fun person to be with. They spent half an hour trying to convince each other to use their first name. Kenshin tried Kaoru-chan, Kaoru-san, Kaoru-kun and even the archaic Kaoru-dono and Kaoru-hime, and finally settled with Kaoru; while even though Kaoru was supposed to call her senpai, she liked the way her tongue felt when she said his name, Kenshin.

Kenshin knew a lot about Biology, and he especially knew how to memorise stuff by turning it into songs or some dirty words. He made sure that Kaoru knew which parts were important for the assignments and exam, and he even gave his notes to her. His writing was horrible, but the way he efficiently put everything down in a simple way actually made his notes better than the lecture handouts. So, three hours later, Kaoru was doing some book exercise when Kenshin looked at the time and stretched.

"Hey, it's almost past lunchtime. What do you feel like having?" he asked. Kaoru looked at her watch and gasped.

"Oh you're right! What are you ordering? Ramen? Pizza?"

Kenshin chuckled. "I'm not ordering. I'm cooking."

Kaoru looked at him incredulously. "Really? Cooking?"

"Yeah. You know how I said all the luxurious stuff in my apartment are meant to accommodate my hobbies? Well, one of my hobbies is not actually _eating_, it's _cooking_. I like cooking more than actually eating the food." He explained.

"So, if you like cooking them more than eating them, what are you going to do with the rest of the food?" She asked.

"I cook for some friends." Kenshin replied. Kaoru smiled, imagining a horde of nerds sitting together, and Kenshin as their king.

"That's really sweet." She commented. Kenshin chuckled and took out some stuff from the fridge and the cupboard.

"You like pasta, right?" He asked while taking out some spaghetti.

He wasn't lying when he said he liked cooking a lot. He was really good at it. Kaoru watched him in awe as he threw the pasta in the air and back to the pan as he added more water to the pan. The taste was really, really good as well, which made Kaoru shrunk in shame, because she knew she couldn't cook as well as him. Heck, she couldn't cook at all. She told Kenshin this, but Kenshin just laughed.

"Of course you can. You just need someone to teach you."

"My friends tried and failed. They took out my gas and put a warning sign on the stove before sealing it tight so that I don't even touch it." Kaoru said with a pout.

"No one can be _that_ bad." Kenshin commented.

"Well, apparently, I can." She said bitterly. Both of them laughed and talked more. Kaoru told him funny stories about how she almost burned her apartment when trying to cook for her two best friends, and the time she forgot that she boiled some water on the stove and went out, and came back to see the water was all gone, leaving the pan all smoky and burned. It was clear that Kenshin tried hard to hold back his laughter and acted like it could happen to anyone, even though he finally cracked up when Kaoru told her about how she ended up with a purple chicken soup, and until now she didn't even know what she did wrong that day. When they finally finished their food, it was already late afternoon. Kaoru looked at the watch.

"I have to go now." She said while tidying up her books. Kenshin dumped the dishes in the basin and helped her opened the front door.

"Alright, then. See you next week." Kenshin said. Kaoru smiled.

"Thanks, Kenshin. You're a nice guy. I got a bit scared about the down payment thing, but I was bluffing, then you called my bluffing, so yeah… Still, I'm going to repay your kindness, so if there's anything I can do…" She said sweetly.

"Nothing, really. Just…" Kenshin reached to the clothes hanger beside him. He took a dark magenta scarf and wrapped it around Kaoru's neck. "Autumn wind is starting to get colder. Please wear more clothes." He said. Kaoru looked at him with a blank stare, and looked at herself. She was wearing shorts with dark stocking, and a sweater.

"It's okay… I don't need this." She said, carelessly pulling the scarf.

"I don't like seeing people get sick." He said while making a weird knot with the scarf, and Kaoru blushed.

"Thank you." She mumbled while holding the scarf.

"So, I'll see you again soon." He said casually. Kaoru bowed silently at him and then walked towards the staircase.

**OOOOO**

"He said that? He is soooo crushing on you!" Megumi commented. Kaoru, who were eating her noodle soup, choked when she heard the comment.

"No way! Are you crazy?" She replied. Misao giggled.

"Oh, come on… 'I don't like seeing people get sick'… Read between the line, Kaoru! He's saying that he's actually trying to pay attention to you without looking like a needy wuss!" She said.

"Yeah, and he almost kissed you! I think he's trying to drag you around by stopping halfway." Megumi deduced.

"He clearly said to me that he's not interested with me." Kaoru shrugged and ate her noodle soup faster. Misao snorted.

"Oh! He's already trying to play hard to get? What is he, cute?" Misao asked with a condescending scoff.

"By the way, he lives next to Sano, right?" Megumi asked Kaoru and she nodded. "Well, lucky. There he is. SANO!" Megumi called, and Sano grinned. He left his friends and joined their little girly group.

"What's up?" He greeted.

"So, Rooster, what can you tell us about Himura Kenshin?" Megumi asked.

"With a kiss, everything." He said playfully to Megumi while pouting his lips towards her. Megumi smacked him.

"Come on, we're serious here! We believe that he's hitting on Kaoru!" Megumi told him.

"He's a great guy, I think. He's in the same year as me, mysterious, introverted, and a good cook. I eat at his place all the time." Sano said with a shrug. "He used to be pretty famous amongst the girls you know, but he was never really interested, so after the first semester the popular kids had stopped trying to invite him to the parties. Since he stood out but never really mingled with anyone, there are a lot of strange rumours about him. Like, he's a hooker, or he's in some kind of mafia, or he's a psychotic assassin… Are you sure that he's hitting on you, Jou-chan?" He asked Kaoru. Kaoru shrugged.

"I don't know. I don't think so. He clearly said to me that he's not interested." Kaoru said.

"BUT! He gave Kaoru a scarf and said stuff about not wanting her to get sick!" Misao added. Sano chuckled.

"I would do the same to any of you guys, you know. Frankly, it's getting cold and I don't know how you guys managed to wear miniskirts." He commented.

"It's easy. Beauty can defeat bad weather." Megumi said with a mock dumb bimbo expression on her face.

"That guy is no you, okay! You're very close to us, so you can do these things! You were even allowed to kiss each one of us under the mistletoe last year! You were the ONLY guy in campus who's allowed to do that!" Misao retorted.

"Itachi, chill, okay?" Sano calmed her down. "I do think he likes to play around. I often saw him leaving home late at night and didn't return until morning. I heard girls' voice from his room as well, but this rarely happen. He mostly spends his night outside. But, well… Everyone does that in this age right? I don't really see anything wrong with it."

"Well, either that, or he was involved in some kind of weird cult or organization. Maybe he really is involved in some kind of gang… Or mafia…" Megumi concluded. Kaoru sighed.

"Let's stop talking about him like that, guys. He's a decent guy, okay. A little geeky, but very nice." She said.

**OOOOO**

It was almost ten when Sano finally arrived at home. His part time job finished a lot later than he thought it would. He climbed the stairs and saw Kenshin, locking his apartment door. He sensed Sano and then turned around and smiled.

"Hey, Sano." He greeted while walking away. Sano looked at him.

"Hey, man… What's the deal with you?" He asked out of the blue, and Kenshin stopped and looked at him confusedly.

"What deal?" He asked.

"Like… Are you really a hooker, or a member of a gang… or an assassin?" He asked, and Kenshin chuckled.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Just… Words… spreading around from people to people. I mean, you're a good cook, and I've been leeching off your food since our first year, but I still don't really know you. We really should hang out sometimes, not just me eating dinner and you cooking. Like, man to man hang out, with beer and pizza and games… all that. Not that I don't appreciate you cooking, but guys usually order cheap, unhealthy food, you know. It makes hanging out just the two of us feel less… Well… gay… Not that I have a problem if you're one! I'm not gay though... But I support the gays..." Sano said and then cursed himself inwardly for saying weird things. He should stop talking about homosexuality.

Kenshin grinned. "So we established the fact that we're both not gay." He said with a silly grin.

"Yeah, so... what do you say about that?" He offered.

"The fact that you wanted to have a manly hang out session with manly food, you mean?" Kenshin teased with amused face. Sano glared at him with an annoyance and he chuckled. "Yeah, sure. We'll hang out sometimes." Kenshin said with a grin on his face. This guy could be really funny sometimes.

"So… Are you really busy tonight? Coz I'm free." Sano asked.

"Nah... Not tonight, Sano…" Kenshin refused. "I have a client for the night." He said with a teasing tone, but Sano blushed.

"What the hell man, you don't have to be sarcastic! I was just asking!" He retorted with an annoyed face, and Kenshin laughed.

"Bye Sano." He said while walking away.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: RK is not miiiine! And Misty was written by Erroll Garner.

AN: I TOTALLY forgot the fact that Meiji University is a REAL university! Lol… Well, if there's anyone in the Meiji-U reading this, please refrain from commenting 'that's not how it goes in my school' because one of my friends from Meiji-u already commented about how how I depicted some things wrongly (Tisk tisk Aki-chaaan :P). Just think of this as a Meiji-u from a parallel universe (Sorry I just had The Big Bang Theory marathon lol..). Anyways, this chapter captured more than just KK, so I hope you dont mind. I finished this chapter much quicker than I had hoped because I'm moving to yet another country and probably wouldn't be able to update for a few weeks. I move around so much that if I continue living like this for ten years, I'll be like Kenshin the rurouni :P Anyways, I hope you enjoy this one, and don't forget to review!

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**Tutoring**

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Kenshin heard a small rustle behind him. He stopped drying his wet, newly washed hair with the small towel and turned around. Behind him, the blanket moved a little, revealing a smooth, glowing bare back, mostly covered by strands of long, black hair that fell perfectly on it like a silk curtain.

"Did I wake you up?" He asked gently. Beneath the crumpled up blankets, he could catch glimpses of pearl white skin. He had always liked the contrasting colour between her pale skin and dark hair. With a small smile, he leaned and kissed the uncovered portion of her back, and the owner of that smooth, cold skin looked up.

"Class?" She asked with a soft, and rather coarse voice, and Kenshin nodded. "Wait, I will see you off…" She said, attempting to get up, but instead, vertigo caught her and she fell into his arms. Kenshin sighed at the feeling of her burning body in his embrace.

"It's okay. Just lie still, you have a fever." He stated while taking a crumpled up, abandoned pajama top and covered her naked body gently. He took his worn out jeans from the floor and put it on. "You better rest today. I'll fix you something for lunch, eat it before you take your medication."

"It's okay… I can-"

"Don't worry so much, just go back to sleep and rest your body." He said before giving a long, chaste kiss on her lips, silencing her protest. "You know how much I love cooking." He added with an innocent grin.

Before she could say anything anymore, he left the bedroom and walked to the kitchen.

**OoooO**

Sano was eating his pasta alone in the cafeteria when he saw a familiar, but out-of-place sight. Kenshin, with a tray of ramen, a piece of bread and a small bottled water was walking towards him. He rarely went to any place which had a lot of people gathering around, like the study hall, cafeteria or the outdoor spaces. Sano grinned.

"Oi, Kenshin. It's rare to see you out here mingling with us mortals." He greeted with a wave.

"Oh, hey Sano. Can I sit here?" he asked. Sano nodded and moved his bag away from the table.

"Of course. Dude, it's kinda unnverving that you're still so formal towards me." Sano grinned. "By the way, I went to your place to get some food, but you've been gone for two days. Seriously, how many clients do you have? Were you in some kind of a long session of orgy or something? Do you have the stamina to go on for two days?" He asked with a serious expression, and Kenshin, who was slurping his noodles, choked at Sano's questions.

"Don't tell me that you take my words seriously." He said incredulously. Sano blushed.

"I don't know. Dude, you don't seem like someone who would joke around." He said. "Tell me the truth." He demanded with an extra serious face.

"If I was in an orgy, what would you do?" He asked calmly, and Sano's jaw dropped. Kenshin smiled amusedly. "I'm joking, Sano."

Sano growled. "Don't get all cute on me, Himura Kenshin!" He exclaimed with annoyance and Kenshin burst out laughing. "This will teach you a lesson; don't mess with the Sagaras!" He continued while taking Kenshin's ramen and started eating it. Kenshin chuckled and ate his bread instead.

"Sorry Sano. But I can't help it, since it was the weirdest accusation I've ever heard. What made you think that I was a hooker?"

Sano finished Kenshin's noodle and sneered. "You look like one. Red hair to attract girls… That scar on the cheek… That must be some crazy woman's doing."

Kenshin laughed and shook his head. "Fine, fine… I didn't have an orgy. And for your information, my red hair is REAL."

"So... you're not involved in some kind of cult or mafia organization?"

"Nope."

"And you've never killed anyone before?"

Silence. Sano gulped and thought that he probably had said the wrong thing. He looked up, to see Kenshin was staring into spaces.

"Dude, did I say anything wrong? Are you going to kill me now?" He asked. Kenshin sat still, staring into something for a few more seconds, and then frowned.

"Hey, Sano… That's the girl you've been chasing around, right? Kaoru's friend." He said, pointed at the other side of the cafeteria. Sano turned his head and saw Megumi, walking into the cafeteria with an annoyed face while behind her, there were two guys following her, obviously trying to sweet-talk her. Sano slammed the table with his fist.

"Damn it! Don't these people know that she's my woman?"

"Technically, she's not your woman yet." Kenshin shrugged. Sano snorted, ignoring his words.

"Okay, Kenshin. Let's go." He said while standing up.

"Oro?"

"Come on! What are you waiting for?" Sano said while dragging Kenshin towards Megumi and the two guys.

Obviously, the spiky haired guy didn't need any help at all. The guys were shrinking with fear as soon as Sano tapped their shoulders. Sano pulled both of them up by their collars and moved them away from Megumi so easily, as if they were made of paper. Before he could do anything, those guys already ran away like scared cockroaches. Kenshin was just standing in one spot and watched Sano.

Sano really was a big bully. He was the most popular guy in the campus, and he hung out with whoever he wanted to. He had friends everywhere; whether they were from the campus, or from outside. He was nice and very friendly to most people, but vicious to those who opposed him. He was hot tempered but his anger died down easily, just like a little kid. Kenshin himself didn't know how he did that, bust suddenly, one day, he realized that all the guys were either scared or admired Sano, and all the girls wanted him. He did have a strong presence to everyone, and a great friend to those he genuinely cared as well.

"By the way, Kitsune, This is Kenshin, Kaoru's tutor. Kenshin, this is Megumi." Sano said. Kenshin snapped out of his thoughts and focused on the 'couple' in front of her.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Himura Kenshin." He said with a smile while taking a seat in front of the two. Megumi scrutinized him, as if she was afraid that Sano was mistaking a person. One moment later, she leaned her body towards Kenshin, and smiled seductively.

"Takani Megumi, Medical. I'd be happy to give you a full body check-up, free of charge…" She practically purred out her words. Sano glared at Kenshin, who stared at the two awkwardly, and pulled Megumi's arm.

"Damn it woman! This is why jerks are trying to hit on you!" He said, genuinely pissed off, and Megumi laughed, looking very satisfied. It wasn't really clear who she was trying to tease; Kenshin, or Sano.

Soon, Misao and Kaoru came and joined them. Kaoru looked pretty surprise that Kenshin was willingly eating lunch with them.

"Hi Kenshin! I never thought that I would see you here." Kaoru greeted.

Kenshin grinned. "I'm between classes today, so I decided to have a quick lunch."

Megumi poked Misao on the ribs. "Kaoru's infamous tutor…" She whispered at Misao secretively while subtly pointing towards him with a movement of her head, and Misao gapsed.

"Are you serious? He's too cute!" Misao whispered back excitedly, and rather loudly. She turned around and looked at Kenshin. "Hey, I'm Makimachi Misao. Just call me Misao. I'm Sano's junior in Business department."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Himura Kenshin. I'm from the Engineering faculty." He replied with a charming smile, and Misao blushed.

"No wonder you can handle studying Biology for hours…" Misao mumbled towards Kaoru, and Kaoru blushed.

Sano smirked, looking at Kaoru's reaction, and then looked at Kenshin. "Hey, Kenshin, Jou-chan's gonna buy us some drink tonight, celebrating her victory in that Miss Meiji thing. Wanna come?"

Kaoru's face reddened. "Geez! Not celebration… It's just that, the prize for that weird pageant-ish event is a big amount of money, so I thought if I won I'd treat these guys… It's not like I participated because I wanted to… I just needed the money!" She rambled, her face became even redder. Megumi and Misao scoffed.

"Says the holder of the 'Miss Meiji' title for two years…" Misao teased.

"She even asked us to join, so that 'us three can secure the winning position'. That's called determination, Kaoru-chan. Of course, we came in as runner ups, without even trying. She was the only one who put some effort in it." Megumi added with a sly smirk on her face. Kenshin laughed and Kaoru looked at her two girl friends with an annoyed face.

Kaoru looked at Kenshin. "So, will you come?"

"Sorry, I can't tonight. I have a part time job at night." Kenshin refused.

Sano frowned suspiciously. "What job? Weird job, or normal job?"

Kenshin chuckled. "Normal job at a normal bar. I work there on weekends."

"Which one?"

"The one with a big wooden door. Close to the student's bar."

"Oh, the one filled with foreigners…"

"Yeah. That one."

"Then we'll just go there!" Sano decided. "If Kenshin's working there, we can at least get some free drinks right? The more free stuff I get, the better!"

"We shouldn't disturb Kenshin when he's working, just so that you can score some free beer!" Kaoru scolded Sano.

"What… We're not disturbing him! We're just drinking there!"

"Yeah right, I'm sure you'll do something that would make him regret allowing you to visit in the first place!"

"Gee… Chill, I'm not gonna harm your boyfriend!" Sano said casually, and Kaoru blushed. Kenshin smiled.

"I don't mind, actually. Just come if you all feel like it." Kenshin said.

"See? He doesn't mind." Sano pointed at Kenshin, and Kaoru grunted.

"I'll be there after ten, so come a little later if you want the free beer." Kenshin told Sano, who grinned widely at him.

**OoooO**

"YOU DIDN'T TELL US IT'S AN OLD PEOPLE'S BAR!" Kaoru screamed at Sano.

"I forgot about that too." He replied with an ignorant shrug. Their car was parked in front of quite a big bar. The exterior looked very modern but very sublte and mature, with wooden elements and dark colours. People who went into the bar were all suited up and business-like, and most of them were foreigners. Misao groaned.

"Look at me! They're gonna kick me out for sure!" She said sadly. She was wearing a black sexy halter top with a dark purple knitted cardigan, torn out mini jeans skirt and patterned stocking with bright, bright pink high heels. Sano chuckled.

"Don't worry about that. You guys look totally classy." He assured, obviously without any sincerity in it. He couldn't careless, since he, himself, was wearing a worn out white t-shirt with the character "Aku" on the back, a pair of jeans and a pair of white shoes. Megumi and Kaoru looked at each other. Kaoru was wearing a cute, strapless black mini dress overlapping her jeans shorts beneath, dark blue stocking and dark coloured pump heels, while Megumi was wearing a dress with a lot of bronze sequins on it, which looked perfect in those hip clubs, or high fashion events. Apparently they all had different pictures when it comes to imagining what kind of bar Kenshin would work in.

Megumi flicked her hair. "I don't really care, we're here already anyway. Plus, there will be cute foreigners inside. Let's go." She said, taking her bag and stepped out of the car elegantly. The cold breeze of autumn hair didn't even affect her at all. Kaoru, Sano and Misao stepped out of the car and followed Megumi, who confidently entered the bar.

And yes, it was weird to be in the bar. They felt like cheeky high school students landed in a businessmen's club. Everyone was wearing suits and blazers, even the women. Their hair was tied up in simple, neat buns, and obviously they didn't have glossy pink lips like Kaoru, Megumi and Misao did. They looked mature and composed. Moreover, most of them were expatriates. Megumi walked pass the staring eyes nonchalantly and sat by the bar, and the three followed her. Kenshin wasn't there yet, instead, a cute guy was in charge of the bar.

"Ooh… Look at thaaat…" Megumi whispered to Kaoru while eyeing the bartender. Kaoru looked at him. He was a gorgeous man, with icy blue eyes and a calm demeanor. His black hair was combed neatly, and his perfectly chiseled face was quite expressionless, even though he looked very stunning that way. He was a little taller than Sanosuke, and he looked so yummy in folded sleeves shirts and black pants layered with a tablier that started from his waist and ended a little more than his knees.

He looked at them and greeted them with his rather cold, baritone voice. "Good evening. Can I get you anything?"

"Three beer." Sano ordered.

"And I'll have vodka with lemon." Misao added. The bartender looked at her coldly.

"I'm sorry, we don't serve alcohol to those who are underage, even though you're here with your sister." He said. The three choked before bursting into laughter, while Misao's face turned red from the humiliation.

"I AM TWENTY!" She screamed.

"Really? I apologise then Miss. Could you show me your ID?" He asked politely, and that made the laughter of her three friends even louder.

With a red face, Misao opened her bag and slammed her ID card on the table. "THERE!"

"Alright Miss. I apologise for the misunderstanding. Your drink will be ready in a second." He said calmly. He didn't look sincere at all.

Misao fumed. "YOU'RE NOT SINCERE!" She screamed again. "Geez! I've had enough with people calling me a kid! I am not a kid anymore, yet people, especially people like YOU can't get over the fact th-"

"Do you like olives?" The bartender suddenly asked, cutting her ranting. Misao stopped talking and looked at him weirdly.

"Yeah, I love olives." She said, and the bartender served her drink and a small bowl of olives.

"This is a token of apology." He said politely, and Misao turned red again, but this time she was actually blushing, not fuming in anger.

"Th-thanks…" She mumbled, and started eating the olives. Kaoru and Megumi giggled, while Sano snickered.

"Good move. If a kid is throwing a tantrum, give her a candy or a toy. He must be really good at baby-sitting." He whispered towards the two girls, while watching Misao ate the olives happily. Misao, who heard Sano's whisper, stopped eating and glared at the olives, as if she was defeated. She couldn't believe that the bartender actually treated her like a kid and even worse, she fell for it.

"You're right; this is more fun than going to a club or a bar where everyone knows that Misao is legal." Megumi commented with a mischievous smirk.

The four were talking and drinking until suddenly, the back door behind the bar opened. A beautiful woman came in. Her black hair was pulled up into a messy bun, and she was wearing a little black dress that showed off her gorgeous figure. She was alluringly gorgeous, even when she looked intoxicated. She wobbled around so the cute bartender dragged a chair for her and gave her a glass of iced water.

"Where's Kenshin?" She asked with a rather slurred voice.

"I'm here. Do you feel better, Yumi-san?" Kenshin came in with a fancy handbag on his hands, a big box that seemed to be filled with bottles of liquor, and a leather case box. Yumi smiled seductively.

"There you aaare…" She hugged him and kissed his cheek, leaving a red stain on it. Sano chuckled, while the girls were staring at him oddly.

"Oi Kenshin. Is that your 'customer'?" Sano teased. Kenshin stopped moving and looked at his friends.

"Oh, hey everyone!" He said with a grin while freeing himself from the hug, gave the leather case and the purse to the other bartender and put the the liquor box on the floor. He then put on a tablier he got from under the counter and smiled at the four. "So, are you guys enjoying your drinks?" He asked politely. Megumi, Kaoru and Sano giggled, while Misao snorted.

"The bartender over there mistook Misao for an underaged teenager. She got really pissed when he insisted to check her ID." Kaoru explained. Kenshin smiled apologetically.

"Sorry… He's like that…" He said, and then went to the back and dragged the bartender forward. "This is Shinomori Aoshi, he was an exchange student abroad for two years, and had just come back. He's studying science in Meiji as well." He introduced the bartender.

Aoshi nodded politely. "Nice to meet you all." He said expressionlessly.

"He's not sincere." Misao mumbled with an annoyed face.

One of the customers called Kenshin and started speaking in some foreign language. He replied easily and fluently, which made Kaoru wonder. She didn't know much about Kenshin, even though she met him three days a week. He looked kind and approachable, which made her didn't realize that he rarely talked about himself. Not about important things anyway. No wonder rumours about him were everywhere.

"I'm UP! Tell that guy that I'm UP!" Yumi screamed and jumped from her chair and got herself a shot of tequila. "I'm ready!" She announced.

"Ready for what?" asked Kaoru.

"Ah… She's the singer in this bar. Komagata Yumi." Kenshin said. "Aoshi plays the saxophone, and I… Even though I'm not too capable, I play the piano. The guy over there asked me when are we going to play tonight." He explained.

"Wow, that's pretty cool!" Misao commented.

"Yeah, Yumi-san said that this is cheaper than trying to hire a professional musician." Kenshin replied with a light laugh.

Yumi dragged a bar stool towards the small stage and sat there, still a little wobbly, while Kenshin walked towards the piano while rolling his sleeves. Aoshi opened the leather case Kenshin gave him earlier and took out a saxophone.

"Wow, they both become even hotter… Especially Kenshin. Don't you think so, Kaoru?" Megumi whispered towards Kaoru and Misao, and Kaoru blushed furiously.

Misao snorted. "Hmmphhh! It's just saxophone! I can play too! Moreover, he's not sincere!" She said for the millionth time.

When they started playing, the whole bar went quiet. The patrons were watching intently. Yumi's voice was not too heavy, but pretty deep, sexy and intoxicating, especially when everyone in the room had already drank their alcohol. Kenshin's piano playing and Aoshi's saxophone were also outstanding. Kenshin was expressive, very capable in improvising, which was great for a jazz player, while Aoshi created a heavier, soulful melody, which, to Misao's surprise, was very _sincere_. They created a great music together. Several couples got up and started dancing to the smooth Jazz songs they were playing. Sano stood up and offered his hand to Megumi.

"Shall we?" He asked Megumi, and Megumi smiled at him.

"I guess, once in awhile…" She mumbled as she felt his hands settled gently on her curve. Kaoru and Misao snorted.

"Damn Sano. He's just using us as baits to lure Megumi out." Misao uttered.

Kaoru laughed and stood up. "Let's dance then. Shall we?" She asked like a perfect gentleman.

Kenshin looked at Sano and Megumi, who hugged each other as they moved very slowly on the dancefloor, and secretly congratulated the guy. It was much better than this morning. His gaze then fell onto the two girls dancing and grinning near the bar by themselves. Misao was watching the people dancing while swaying her arms sometimes. Kaoru closed her eyes, enjoying the music with her beer in her hands. She was turning and moving her body slowly and subtly enjoying the music.

Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder. Yumi was smiling at him.

"I'll play the piano." She said, and Kenshin sighed. He moved away and let Yumi played. Both Yumi and Aoshi played an instrumental jazz, and Kenshin walked to the bar, near the furthest corner where Misao and Kaoru danced.

"More drinks?" He asked Misao and Kaoru. Misao grinned.

"No… Not for me. Well, I'll just go and disturb someone else then…" She said while swaying away smoothly, like those jazz singers in the 50s. Kaoru blushed, but then calmed herself and turned around to face Kenshin.

"I'll have rum and coke, please." Kaoru said. Kenshin smiled and nodded. Kaoru watched him preparing the drink. "How come you stopped playing?" She asked.

"I only like to accompany people singing. I guess I feel nervous when people are focusing on my playing entirely. I'm not really good, anyway." He replied.

"What song is this?"

"It's called 'Misty'." He said, serving the drinks.

"Misty, huh…" Kaoru closed her eyes, as if she was trying to feel the music.

"Beautiful." She heard him mumble. She opened her eyes, only to find him watching the stage with a wandering gaze. She sighed and closed her eyes again.

Soon, the music changed into a solo Saxophone. Kaoru looked at Yumi looking at her, and then she stood up and walked towards the bar. Yumi patted Kenshin's shoulder and whispered something to him.

As if that was the sign for her to move away, Kaoru stood up and found Misao in the middle of the dancing people. They were dancing again, but this time, Kaoru couldn't take her eyes off of the two figures behind the bar.

"You're looking at them too intensely." Misao said.

"Just thinking that… Well… they're awfully close." Kaoru commented at Kenshin and Yumi. Yumi was leaning against Kenshin, and Kenshin was whispering something at her.

Misao sighed. "Don't be disappointed like that."

"I'm not. I'm just saying. We're here for Sano's free drinks, remember?" Kaoru replied lightly with grin on her face. "Besides, this is like, a yummy source of gossip in front of our eyes." She added with a giggle. Misao shrugged. They both looked at Kenshin and Yumi, dancing with each other. Her hands were comfortably settled around Kenshin's neck, while one of Kenshin's hand was on her back upper back, stroking her lightly as if he was trying to cheer her up, even though his face looked a little troubled. His other hand was holding a glass of liquor, where she would take sips from once in awhile. They were talking so intimately as their bodies were moving lightly to the saxophone's melody. At the end, she smiled and kissed his cheek. She then pulled his hands towards the small stage again.

"This is the last song for the night." She announced before they started playing again.

**OoooO**

Kenshin had finished mopping the whole floor of the empty bar before he sat tiredly on one of the bar stools. Aoshi was still at the back, washing all the dishes, so he had a little time to rest before he had to help him close up the bar. He closed his eyes, and after a minute, he heard a rustle beside him. He felt Yumi's hand on his shoulder.

"You are attracted to that girl, aren't you?" She asked with a sly smirk on her face. Kenshin opened his eyes and looked at her.

"Which girl?" He asked innocently.

"The beautiful one. The one who danced with her eyes closed." She said, grabbing an empty glass and danced around, imitating Kaoru earlier. Kenshin smiled, snatched the glass from her, and putting it inside the basin.

"I'm a faithful guy." He replied calmly.

Yumi laughed and shook her head incredulously, as if Kenshin was a little kid who didn't know what he was talking about. "Little boy, let Onee-chan tell you something. Attraction towards other people could happen anywhere, anytime. For example, I'm attracted to your friend, the hottie whose hair looks like a rooster. You just can't help it sometimes."

Kenshin chuckled. "I think you're still drunk."

"I'm drunk, but I'm not blind, honey. I think you're a little confused with your feelings." She said with a knowing smile. "Thanks for today, by the way." She added before standing up and walked away, humming and singing a familiar melody.

_When I wander through this wonderland alone,_

_Never knowing my right foot from my left_

_My hat from my glove_

_I'm too misty, and too much in love._

_Too misty,_

_And too much_

_In love..._


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: RK isn't mine. *sob*

AN: Happy new year everyone! Okay, the last KT scene I actually took from my new roommate and his girlfriend, who was a little jealous of him living with a girl (namely, me :P) Only that… Instead of kiss, she asked for a more intimate means of convincing. So much that I had to go out and stayed at the 24 hours convenience store for an hour (since the act was in the kitchen). I thought it was a gorgeous scene (if only it didn't happen in my new kitchen lol) and decided to use it for this chapter (in moderation). I do hope you like it, and YES, this is a KK fic, but I don't hate Tomoe so I don't mind writing abt her and Kenshin as long as it's relevant to the story. If you hate Tomoe, then this isn't for you. Other than that, ENJOY! Don't forget to review!

:

**Tutoring**

:

Yumi was entering the bar when she saw someone so familiar was drinking alone at the bar. She remembered that it was the girl he teased Kenshin about. She was sitting; sipping her beer, while on her neck, there was a familiar magenta shawl. Yumi smirked. What would the girl think if she told her that she had worn that shawl so many times before? She was clearly in love with Kenshin.

"Kenshin's friend, right? Are you alone tonight?" Yumi greeted her with a graceful smile. She turned around and bowed a little.

"Ah, nice to meet you again. You're Yumi-san right? The singer?"

"Yes. Thanks for coming that night. It was certainly more fun than seeing a bunch of old guys dancing.' Yumi said with a grin.

"Well, my friend, Sano, insisted that we checked out Kenshin's workplace. I'm Kaoru, by the way. Kamiya Kaoru. I'm one year under Kenshin." She replied, introducing herself politely. Yumi smiled, but she stayed silent while looking at her sharply as if she was waiting for her to continue. Kaoru coughed and took off her shawl. "I… Uh… I want to return this to Kenshin. I hope you don't mind." She said, showing the magenta shawl. Yumi chuckled.

"Why would I mind? Kenshin's not here today, though. You should just return it at the campus or something, no need to especially come here. I assume that this bar is way too old for your taste." She said with a small smile. Kaoru blushed.

"Not really. I've come to like the music. I don't know much about Jazz, but the duet you played with Aoshi-san that night was amazing. Kenshin is good too, but your piano playing made a deep impression in me." Kaoru complimented with a smile. Her smile faded as she looked at Yumi didn't really smile back and only nodded gracefully. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." She apologized.

"Uncomfortable? About what?" Yumi asked.

"I mean, you, being Kenshin's girlfriend and all…"

Yumi's smile turned into a sneer. For the past three years, she had seen women came to the bar for Kenshin, from the university girls to businesswomen. Most of them were pretty persistent, even though he made it quite clear that he wasn't interested. However, none of them was as smooth as this one. She looked pretty sophisticated, she was subtle, polite, and friendly; she didn't even hesitate to praise her, whom she thought was her crush's girlfriend. If Yumi really was Kenshin's girlfriend, she would probably be a little off guard after the praise. From the look of her clique, they were probably the popular bunch in the campus. It was understandable that she had a high confidence to get whatever she wanted. Yumi couldn't decide whether this woman was just really sneaky, or too innocent for her own good.

"I'm not Kenshin's girlfriend." Yumi told her.

"Eh… then…"

"I have a boyfriend. That guy over there." She pointed at the guy covered in bandages from head to toe like a mummy, despite his nice suit.

"Oh…" Kaoru couldn't take her eyes off the guy, and Yumi chuckled.

"His entire body was burned by his soon-to-be-ex-wife. Funny story, actually. She found out that he's been keeping a mistress, which is me, and then she burned the house when he was sleeping…" Yumi explained with a humorous grin, as if it was a joke she told all the time over a dinner party, knowing that Kaoru was actually wondering about the bandages. Kaoru gulped, but Yumi nonchalantly continued her story. "He owns this bar and let me run it for him. He hates Kenshin so much, but I persuaded him because we needed a decent piano player/bartender who can speak several languages. That kind of person is expensive, you know, and Kenshin was okay with any price I offered him, as long as he could arrange the schedule himself. We're saving money by hiring him. He's a good guy, he takes care of everything around here, and he helps me with my problems."

"I see… He's always like that. He is calm and he easily deals with problems around him." Kaoru mumbled thoughtfully, not realizing that a faint smile bloomed on her lips. Yumi scoffed as she took a bottle of beer for herself.

"So, you DO like Kenshin." She concluded, and Kaoru blushed.

"Wha… NO!" She jumped and shook her head. Yumi smiled.

"It's okay. Falling for someone is inevitable. Most of the time it just happened. I mean, how do you think I ended up with that guy? Let me tell you this though; Kenshin is a good guy. Tricks and seductions wouldn't budge him." She said. Even though she said it lightly and with a smile, it actually sounded like a warning to Kaoru.

Kaoru swallowed and looked away. "I don't actually know how I feel towards him."

"Well, you seem like a good girl, Kaoru, so I hope when you did find out about your feelings, whatever it is, you can still respect Kenshin's relationship." Yumi said softly before taking another sip. "Stay back, I'll sing a song for you." She said with a friendly smile.

OOOOO

Kaoru was about to open the door when she saw a piece of paper attached with a sticky tape on her front door. It was clearly Sano's writing, judging by how hard it was to read.

_Jou-chan,_

_Come to Kenshin's we have food_

_You have to come!_

"Huh?" Kaoru frowned and then walked back to the staircase and started climbing it again, despite how tired she was. She rang the bell and Sano opened the door. There were Misao, Megumi and, surprisingly, Aoshi as well. It was already 11.30PM and they were still eating desserts. Kenshin was in the kitchen, cooking more stuff.

"Whoa, you're so late! We finished your dinner!" Sano exclaimed.

Misao snorted. "No, _you_ finished her dinner!" She corrected Sano, who blushed and grinned.

Kaoru frowned confusedly as she entered the place. Since when did they hang out with Kenshin, at his place? And since when did Aoshi start hanging out with them? Kenshin opened the separator from the living room to the kitchen wider and smiled at her.

"Hey, Kaoru, sit down. I saved some soup and dessert for you." He said cheerfully. Kaoru sat down and looked at everyone enjoying their food.

"So, what's the occasion?" She asked.

Megumi shrugged. "I don't know. Sano suddenly called us and told us to come here."

Sano chuckled. "It's just one of those days."

"What days?"

"You know, when you want to eat western food but you're too broke to afford the good ones."

"That's why we have Chef Kenshin here!" Misao chirped happily as Kenshin entered the room with a bowl of soup, dessert, a big bottle of sake and a few bottles of beer.

"There you go. Soup and dessert for Kaoru, and chilled beer and warm sake for… uh… Are you planning to drink everything yourself, Sano?" He asked while sitting beside Sano. Sano clapped his hands excitedly.

"Of course not, baka!" He exclaimed with a grin. "Let's start this the old Bakumatsu style!" He poured some warm sake in everyone's glass, and Megumi winced.

"Tomorrow is a school day, Sano." She reminded him, and Sano snickered at her.

"School day? What are you, a high school brat? Or are you actually scared that you can't hold your alcohol, Kitsune?" He teased, and Megumi scoffed. She took her glass chugged down the sake.

"I am afraid of NOTHING." She said with slightly blushing cheek and Misao, Sano and Kaoru cheered.

"Drink more, drink more!" Misao screamed before chugging her own drinks.

Three hours later, the apartment became so quiet. Sano was snoring on the floor, while Megumi and Misao occupied Kenshin's big bed. Aoshi left earlier to catch the last train home. Kaoru was sitting in the dark, feeling dizzy and starting to fall asleep every now and then, but the sound of Kenshin washing the dishes woke her up. She sat still, trying to gain her consciousness completely before she was planning to go home and sleep on her own comfortable bed.

Kenshin walked around the house and turned off the lights other than the small night light beside his TV, and took out some blankets and covered everyone around him. Kaoru looked up right when he was about to cover her with a fuzzy blanket.

"Sorry, did I wake you?" He asked with a low, soft voice. Kaoru shook her head.

"No, I'm just sitting here until I feel less dizzy… I want to go home and sleep…" She mumbled.

Kenshin chuckled. "You don't have to force yourself. Just sleep here if you can't walk. There's still some space beside the girls. Do me a favour, Kaoru. I keep my spare key under the rug outside the entrance door, so when you guys leave in the morning, could you please lock up for me?"

"Okay… But why?"

"I'm going out now, and I won't come back until tomorrow."

Kaoru looked at his soft amber eyes, and wondered if his eyes were flickering because of the moonlight that came from the window. He smiled at her gently but she knew very well that his soft gaze wasn't really for her.

"Alright, Kenshin. Don't worry." She said. Of course, she had a vague idea where he was going that night, but she chose not so ask or say anything. She sighed and took the magenta shawl that she was holding the whole night, and wrapped it around Kenshin's neck. "Bye." She mumbled. Kenshin looked a little surprised, but then smiled and rustled her hair, as if she was a little girl.

"Good night." He whispered. Kaoru watched as he quietly put on his jacket and left the apartment.

OOOOO

Tomoe lifted up the rug in front of Kenshin's apartment and frowned subtly. Kenshin was supposed to hide his spare key under the rug, but she couldn't find it anywhere. It had been awhile since she actually came over, so Kenshin might have forgotten to tell her that he had changed the location of the spare key.

She lifted up the rug and shook it, hoping that the key would magically appear. She sighed and put the rug back to the place, before looking under the small window, the mailbox, and finally gave up. She almost regretted buying some groceries for Kenshin. She simply wanted to return the books that he left at her place when he left this morning, but halfway to his place, she decided to stop at the market and re-stock his fridge. Now, she was left with thick books on one hand and heavy shopping bags on the other.

It came across to her mind that Kenshin actually had her apartment key, but she didn't have his. Not that it was his fault, she never asked for it, unlike him. Come to think of it, they never really did anything special for each other unless the other person asked for it. Even simple concepts like exchanging keys sometimes slipped their minds.

She sat and looked at the watch. Kenshin would be there soon, so she should probably wait for another ten minutes.

"Ano…"

She looked up, only to meet a curious, sapphire gaze. In front of her was a really pale girl with messy black hair and sickly face.

"Are you looking for this…?" The girl asked while taking out a key. Tomoe looked at the key, and then nodded.

"Thank you." She took the key and put it inside the keyhole, before looking at the sickly girl in front of her. She looked at her back awkwardly, as if she was trying to find the best way to explain why she had the key in the first place. At the end, she didn't say anything and just bowed politely at Tomoe.

"I'll be going then…" She said before turning around and, instead of walking away, fell on the ground. Tomoe gasped and ran towards her. She checked her temperature. The girl was slightly feverish, but it seemed that fatigue was the one that actually pushed her over the edge. She sighed and dragged the girl, made her lean on the wall, while she was opening the door. The key wouldn't budge, and she sighed. She had forgotten how the key would get stuck inside the rusty keyhole when she moved it too fast. She was rarely there at his place anyway, and he always came to her place unannounced.

"Kaoru?"

Tomoe turned around as she heard Kenshin's voice, calling a name she didn't know. Kenshin was standing not far from them, looking a little shocked by the situation. He ran towards them and examined Kaoru.

"What happened?" He asked Tomoe with a panic tone.

"Help me bring her inside?" She asked him back, ignoring his question, while opening the door, making a way for Kenshin. Kenshin dropped his backpack carelessly and lifted her up, carrying her inside the room.

Tomoe took his backpack from the floor and carried it inside, while Kenshin was already putting the girl on his bed, and covered her with a blanket. Tomoe looked around to see his place in such a mess. He was always a pretty tidy person, so this was the first time she had seen the place with so many empty beer and sake bottles, food crumbs and blankets everywhere. Only the dishes were settled in the kitchen, nice and clean. She started taking the bottles and put them into a big trash bag.

"It's unusual for you to be so messy." She commented, but Kenshin didn't reply. She turned around to see what he was doing and sighed. He was sitting beside the fainted girl and his gaze was fixated on her, as if when he looked away, she would disappear forever. Kenshin, who was always cautious about everything around him, actually didn't hear her comment earlier. Tomoe sat beside him and patted his shoulder, and Kenshin looked like he just woke up from a light sleep.

"Sorry, what did you say?" He asked with a smile.

"Your place is messy." She stated the obvious.

Kenshin sighed. "A bunch of friends came and we drank the whole night last night."

"That's why you had the alcohol breath last night."

Kenshin chuckled. "Yeah. It was uncalled for. I should have known that when Sano's bringing bottles of alcohol, the night would turn a little crazy. She was actually part of it. I think she fainted because she's too tired." He pointed at the girl.

"I see." Tomoe mumbled. "She helped me with the key." She continued, looking at Kenshin with unreadable emotions in her dark eyes, and then stood up and walked to the kitchen. Kenshin followed her.

She started boiling water while Kenshin watched everything she was doing. The silence was getting a little heavy, so Kenshin sighed and coughed.

"Did you go to the doctor?" He asked.

"Yes."

"What did she say?"

"She referred me to another specialist."

"Who? Is he any good?"

"His name is Kiyosato Akira. She said that he is the best in Japan now. I believe Yumi knows this guy too."

"Good…"

Silence again. She opened the drawer, found a can of tea leaves and a pot, and took out the ball-shaped filter inside the pot. Kenshin decided to help her by putting out three cups and put them on the counter.

"I almost thought that you picked up another sick woman." She said expressionlessly as she carefully measured the amount of tea leaves she took.

Kenshin looked at her, his amber eyes flickering. "What do you mean by that?"

Silence. She busied herself with the pots and the cups.

"The water is ready." She announced while pouring the lea leaves inside the filter and clasped the aluminum ball close.

"I don't pick up women." He said, a little too harshly than he intended to be, as he turned off the stove and took the kettle. Tomoe looked at him.

"You're annoyed at me."

OOOOO

Kaoru woke up as she heard the soft sound of the kettle from the kitchen. She was a little disoriented at first, but then she remembered what happened. She also recognized the room instantly as Kenshin's room. With a heavy headache and a sharp stabbing feeling in her stomach, she heard people talking outside. She took a peek and saw the woman she met earlier in the kitchen with Kenshin.

"You're annoyed at me."

"I never get annoyed at you." Kenshin answered calmly.

"Then kiss me."

Kenshin's amber eyes sparkled brightly, as if different kind of emotions were mixed into them. Kaoru's mind went blank as she saw him grabbed the woman's little arm and crushed her lips with his. He slammed her body on the wall, and lifted her body a little in his strong grip, before deepened the kiss, tasting her fully. She closed her eyes and gave into his tight embrace, while clutching tightly onto his long hair. It was the first time Kaoru saw him so bestial, as if he was deprived of her for a long time, and he couldn't hold back his hunger anymore.

Not knowing what to do, Kaoru hid herself under the blanket. The soft rustle caused Kenshin to stop. He looked at the opened bedroom door and saw Kaoru was still within her blanket, and then looked at Tomoe with a troubled face. She caressed his face gently.

"I'm sorry. Sometimes I can't help it. I'm a woman, after all." She whispered as she closed her eyes and hugged him, before releasing him, turned around and took the tea tray to the living room.

Kaoru had no choice but to get up after hearing the couple settled in the living room. She crawled out of the bed and sat beside them. The woman poured her some tea, and she and Kenshin looked at her, until she actually took her first sip. Kenshin smiled.

"How do you feel?"

"Dizzy and starving, but better. I haven't eaten anything since yesterday." She mumbled with a rough voice. She looked at the woman beside her and nodded politely. "I am Kamiya Kaoru, Kenshin's tutoring me in Biology. It's really nice to meet you, and thank you for taking care of me."

"Tomoe. Yukishirou Tomoe." She said briefly. "Don't worry about it." She continued with a cool, expressionless face. Kaoru gulped feeling the coldness Tomoe emitted.

"I… uh… I was here because I left my key behind and took Kenshin's instead. We were drinking the whole night and everyone was sleeping here, so Kenshin told me to lock up afterwards. Sorry about that." She explained, hoping that she would be less cold.

Tomoe looked at her as if she didn't know why Kaoru had to explain. "I see." She commented briefly. Kenshin drank his tea, while Kaoru looked away awkwardly. Tomoe stood up. "I bought groceries. Let me make you some congee." She said, and Kaoru blushed.

"Eh… N-no need to do that!" She stuttered.

"You will get sick if you don't eat anything after a night of drinking." Kenshin said.

"I promised Sano that I would eat with him!" She lied. She leaned back a little and her hand accidentally touched her key which had been lying around on the floor. She picked it up and showed it to Kenshin and Tomoe. "Look, my key! I think I should go and find Sano now… He must be waiting for me..." She continued. Kenshin stood up.

"Alright then… So, see you at the tutoring?" He asked. Kaoru nodded, thanked the couple, bid them goodbye and left. A minute later, she found herself sitting in front of Sano's door.

She couldn't get the kiss out of her brain. After all, she had never seen anything like it before.

He devoured her. Like a predator devoured its prey.

That was a love she never knew before. All of her relationships were the happy go lucky, date in the park and karaoke type. She had her kisses, but she never had a guy wanted her like Kenshin wanted Tomoe. He wanted her, and he demanded her to give herself completely to him. It was desire, passion, lust and things that she didn't really understand. She really felt like an immature kid in front of that kiss.

That woman was the kind of woman Kenshin chose from many others. She was beautiful, not even a hair out of place. They looked too good together.

Kaoru wondered about the choking feeling she had when she looked at her.

"Jou-chan?"

Kaoru looked up and saw Sano looking at her, worried. He was holding his key out and was about to open the door, but Kaoru was in the way.

_Sano knows that feeling, right?_ She asked herself. After all, Sano had been with a lot of women, and Megumi was somewhat more experienced than her as well. They all had experience it, the feeling of craving and desiring for someone more than anything else, to the point that they became animals themselves.

If only someone could show her what that kiss really was, or what the feeling she was feeling when she saw the kiss really was, maybe she would understand love a little better.

"Jou-chan, you're being weird, you know that?" Sano asked anxiously. Kaoru looked at Sano, but the only thing she saw was the kiss that replayed over and over again. Sano sighed. "Dude, move a little. Let me open the door." He said.

"You're annoyed at me." Kaoru stated, her eyes were fixated at Sano's brown eyes.

Sano frowned. "Whaaaat… I'm not annoyed. I just asked you to move so tha-"

"Then kiss me."

Sano looked at her with his eyes almost popped out of the sockets for one good minute, and then started laughing. Kaoru seemed to have realized what she just said to Sano, and started laughing as well. It sounded ridiculous when she said it, and not at all romantic or passionate, unlike what just happened inside. They both laughed and Sano sat beside her. He grabbed Kaoru's head and gave her forehead a brotherly kiss before grinning at her widely and rustling her hair, until it was really messed up.

"See, I'm not annoyed." He said with a small chuckle. "Wanna go inside?" He offered. Kaoru shook her head.

"How about coming to my room? I bet your neighbour's going to be a little noisy right now." She said lightly with a faint smile while pointing at Kenshin's door, and Sano looked at her. His smile faded. Kaoru looked away and leaned against Sano, feeling that he had started to pity her.

She didn't even understand her own feelings, but everyone had already decided that this was some kind of love triangle tragic drama. Or maybe she was transparent to everyone but herself. Maybe she should have people telling her how to feel from now, since everyone seemed to understand her situation better than herself.

Sano inhaled, stood up, and offering his back to Kaoru. "How about a piggyback ride?" He asked with a silly grin. Kaoru smiled and giggled.

"Alriight! Run, Sano, run!" She commanded while jumping on his back.


End file.
